President Zardari signs Contempt Bill 2012

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday signed the Contempt of Court Bill 2012, which was passed by the Senate on Wednesday and National Assembly on Monday

The government had first presented this bill in the National Assembly along with two more amendments on Monday. After being passed by the lower house, it was also passed by the Senate amid a walkout by the opposition.

The bill, once it becomes law, will exempt senior government figures — including the prime minister, governors, chief ministers and federal ministers — from contempt of court proceedings, in what is being seen as an apparent bid to save the new prime minister from disqualification.

The Supreme Court has given Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf until July 25 to write the Swiss letter to reopen the multi-million dollar corruption cases against the president and submit a compliance report. It has warned of “appropriate action” if this is not done. Previously, the court dismissed Yousuf Raza Gilani as the prime minister on June 19 after convicting him of contempt in April for refusing to reopen the cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.